Method of drying air for blast-furnaces.



PATENTED SEPT: 1, 1908.

1). T. DAY.

METHOD OF DRYING AIR FOR BLAST FURNACES.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 5,1905.

Wi ma so WOW? f "and a discharge pipe 9, is placed my DAVID T. DAY, OFWASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

METHOD OF DRYING AIR FOB BLAST-FURNACES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Application filed January 5, 1905. Serial No. 239,820.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID T. DAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented 1 certainnew and useful Improvements in i Methods of Drying Air forBlast-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of drying air for use in blastfurnaces and other purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient, effective andeconomical method of drying air and delivering it at the ordinarypressure of about fifteen pounds to a blast furnace or other place ofuse. For the purpose of illustration I will doscribcf'my invention as a)plied to drying air for blast furnaces but wish it understood that itis not confined to such particular use.

The matter constituting my invention will be set forth in the claims.

I am=well aware of the advantages ofdrying air by. cooling it byordinary refrigerating pipes containing brine over which the moist airis passed, and with the result of depositing the moisture on the tubes,ice. It is dillicult to cool all the air passing from the blowingengines by this means as much of the air does not come in contact withthe cooling surface. I purpose therefore, to dispense with ordinaryrefrigerating apparatus and to cool the air by internal coolingresulting from expanding the air by partial release. of ,pressure afterfirst com ressing the air to a pressure of more than t e usual fifteenpounds pressure reduced by the b1ow ing engine. In this iighcompression, according-to my method, much heat is liberated which isabsorbed by maintaining cool water or other .fluid around the air tubes.L In this I am also taking advantage of the principle that it is moreeconomical to cool to the ordinary temperature by a fluid at theordinary temperaturethan to take out the same amount of heat by coolingbelow the environment.

The accompanying drawing represents in sectional elevation an apparatusadapted for carrying out my process.

Within a suitable tank A, coiitaining water, and which is provided witha supply pipe series of U shaped pipes a, having an inlet ipe 11, and aiinal outlet pipe a which is preferably made of terracotta orother'nonconducting in the form of i a few degrees of the freezingmaterial. At the lower end of each U shaped into the expansion chamber Band is provided with a pressure reduction valve 0.

The chamber B is preferably provided at the top with a horizontaler'forated partition I; and at the bottom with a drip pipe l) having avalve d. 1 preferably connect to the plate I), shcetsor strips ofcoarse. fabrics I), such as gunnyrbag fabric, or similar material, forassisting in condensation of moisture from the expanded air. ith the topof chamber 13 is connected the pipe 1*] which is bent in a serpentinecoil withintlw tank A, and adjacent to the U shaped pipes (I, and theoutlet may connect with a blast furnace or other places of use. Adrippipe 0, having a valve f, may connect with each of the lower bends ofthe serpentine pipes E.

In the process for which I claim Letters Patent the operation of coolingand drying air is effected in the following way. By means of an aircompressor, (not here shown) the air is compressed to a pressure of fromfifty to one hundred pounds and delivered into a compression chamber andthence, by. pipe 00, into a series of, preferably, U shapedpipes (L,Which are kept cool by circulating water or other suitable fluid aroundthem at the ordinary temperature, in tank A, and thence delivered intothe ex ansion chamber B. By means of a check Va ve, or a pressurereduction valve 0 the air is released and the pressure is reduced to 15pounds and the temperature of all the airis reduced to within. point,when the moisture is su'llici'cntly condensed on the inner surface ofthe tubes containing the air, so that the expanded air is left dryenough for blast furnace purposes. The water is drained off from thebottom of the series of U shaped tubes by means of the/drip pipe to andvalves 0. In ordinary practice much water is con densed from the moistcondensed air when iirst compressed and cooled by water to the ordinarytemperature. Water of condensation is also drawn oil from chamber B,

through pipe I) and valve (1. The dry air after passing from theprecipitating tubes, and chamber B, Is next passed in tubes E,

through the Water used to cool the compressed air, and aids by its lowtemperature, in maintaining the ordinary temperature in the Water vat A,Where the compressed air is cooled.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire'to secure byLetters Patent,

, degree above the pressu IL The method of drying air for.blast-furnaceswhich consists in com ressing air to a re of ordinary blowing engines,then cooling such compressed air in pipes or conduits to the ordinarytemperature by means of a circulating fluid in c0ntact with the pipes,drawing off water of con- -'densation therefrom, then expanding suchcooled and lating fluid 'duits' conveying the compressed air and cooledair by a controlling device to the ordinary fifteen pound pressure ofthe blast admitted to blast -furnaces, thereby further cooling and.drying it, and by means of such expanded aircooling the circuin contactwith the 'pipesor condrawing, off the water of condensation from the exanded air. i

2. helmethod of drying air for blast fur:

- naces which consists in compressingnir to a pressure above thepressure of fifteen pounds of the ordinary blowing engine, then coolingsuch highiy compressed air to temperature by exposing it in pipes to thecirculation of a fluid, then expanding such the ordinary ss7,35e

compressed and cooled air, approximately,

pressure between fifty and one hundred ounds ressure and storm it in ')ies then i b J cooling such air to the ordinary temperature bycirculation of Water, maintained at approximately the ordinarytemperature, in contact with said pipes conveying the 00111- pressedair, then expanding such cooled air by a controlling device to aboutiifteen pounds pressure required in blast admitted to blast furnaces,thereby further cooling it and causing its moisture to be depositedpassing this cooled expanded air through pipes in said cooling Water,and delivering it to a blast furnace. 1

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence oftwo Witnesses.

DAVID '1. DAY.

/Vitnesses ALTHA T. Coons, E. B. CLARK.

